Charmeuse Satin - help!
Sarah Dale
Looking for some help and some ideas. I purchased some
charmeuse satin (made from polyester) to make some items
(see below). How do I deal with it? Do I need a special
needle? A special foot (this stuff is slippery)? A special
stich (as in maybe a zig zag instead of straight?)? Any and
all advice on how to sew this material gratefully appreciated.
NB - washing instructions say either wash at 40 degrees celcius
or hand wash - which is correct? (I bought two different pieces -
with two sets of washing instructions!)
Now - ideas! I have bought a plain shift type dress (slightly fitted)
with a sweetheart neckline and no sleeves to wear to a March wedding.
Now our weather is likely to be anything from snow to rain to a
pleasant spring day! (That's the UK for you). I'm going to wear a
blazer with this outfit.
Now I want to make a scarf with the charmeuse - both for decoration
and to keep my neck warm if required! What style do you suggest I
make? I was thinking about plain rectangular - but that won't look
so good with just the dress. I have two shades of charmeuse available
I've got 1.45m of 1.12m wide dark pink and 0.5m of 1.12m wide pale
pink. I was thinking along the lines of a dark pink scarf accented
somehow with the pale pink.
I am also planning to decorate my hat with a dark pink hat band (I
haven't decided on whether or not to have a bow and tails) and add
dark pink and light pink fabric flowers. Any ideas? Advice for
making fabric flowers?
I also want to do some sort of hair decoration - probably based
around a dark pink scrunchy or similar, again decorated with fabric
roses. Again, any other ideas or suggestions appreciated.
Thank you for your ideas and suggestions in advance!
Regards, Sarah
zski
fabric flowers, and there was an extensive article
on scarves a month or so ago.
Charmeuse IS slippery as all get out, and most
kinds will ravel. I've worked with it for bridal
purposes. I just pinned the hell out of it (using
VERY FINE silk pins) and sewed very carefully. I
also have a serger with differential feed which
helps a lot too.
Hope this starts you off well!
Wendy Z
WenchWear Costumes
Chicago, IL
Wendy Playle
and tissue paper placed between the layers will help prevent slippage. Use a
ball point needle to prevent damage to the faric.
Best of luck with it!
Wendy
[My email address is wen...@perrydell.com]
Sarah Dale wrote in message <782llr$573$1...@molnir.our.house>...
Sarah Dale
> Well, this month's THREADS had a cool article on
> fabric flowers, and there was an extensive article
> on scarves a month or so ago.
Sounds like just what I need - how do I get THREADS
in the UK (and is that the January or February issue
I need to get hold of?)?
Sarah
Tim & Véronique
the stuff but it looks so good.
I will not claim to be an expert, but what I have found may be of some help.
I have serged the raw edges before but the stitching usually pulls away.
What I did with this skirt was to not serge or finish the raw edges at all.
I just stitched the panels together and pressed the seams open. That should
keep things from pulling apart...for a little while anyway. I used alot of
starch to stiffen things up a bit.
I have never tried this before but the idea appeals to me of using some
thread lock to keep the satin from fraying. I even thought of using hot glue
to keep the pressed open seams open and keep them from fraying.
But the best thing that you can have is patience while working with satin.
If you can do it with satin...you can do it with just about anything.
John Kahila
in rec.crafts.textiles.sewing:
>In alt.sewing zski <zskiG...@ripco.com> wrote:
>> Well, this month's THREADS had a cool article on
>> fabric flowers, and there was an extensive article
>> on scarves a month or so ago.
>
>Sounds like just what I need - how do I get THREADS
>in the UK
You can subscribe through their website, http://www.taunton.com/th/
(non-US subs are US$36). But if you have a large magazine dealer nearby
you might want to check if you can get it on the stands, or if you're
just looking for one or two articles perhaps a library.
> (and is that the January or February issue
>I need to get hold of?)?
>
>Sarah
March (No. 81), page 44, "Fabric in Bloom".
Best,
john k
SDavey
Tim & Véronique wrote in message
<785s4n$7bfo$1...@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>...
>I have never tried this before but the idea appeals to me of using some
>thread lock to keep the satin from fraying. I even thought of using hot
glue
>to keep the pressed open seams open and keep them from fraying.
Don't do it! I thought I'd be smart & Fray Check the seams on some
ravelly-denim pants I made my daughter. It made the seams scratchy and
uncomfortable. (It was the first time I'd ever used the stuff, and I didn't
realize it would be so stiff!) As for hot glue, I've never tried, but I
wouldn't do that either. I have laid lines of hot glue along the petals of
a flower costume so they'd stick up straight, and can't imagine the effect
would be good along the seamline of a skirt.
If this dress is ever going to see a washing machine, I really suggest you
finish the raw edges. Otherwise, it will fray like crazy, whether you've
pressed the seam open or not. You might try widening the stitch on your
serger--that might keep it from pulling away. Or, you could use a zigzag
stitch from a regular machine.
Sharon
Tim & Véronique
I see your point. Actually it might be too late to serge the skirt now. I
could do it in situ but would not be able to get it all. Actually, I don't
expect that this dress will get alot of wear. It is somewhat formal. (see
Style pattern # 2004 You can get to then from www.simplicity.com. There is a
link to Style and you can search by pattern number).
This skirt is full enough that I could just sew the seams open. Heck, if my
wife wears this only once, it will have been enough and I can turn it into
pillow cases.
Anyway I expect that this dress will be dry cleaned only.
Marie Coffin
Tim & Véronique <TV...@prodigy.net> wrote:
>I am sewing a dress for my wife and the skirt is a simple dark satin. I hate
>the stuff but it looks so good.
>I will not claim to be an expert, but what I have found may be of some help.
>I have serged the raw edges before but the stitching usually pulls away.
>What I did with this skirt was to not serge or finish the raw edges at all.
>I just stitched the panels together and pressed the seams open. That should
>keep things from pulling apart...for a little while anyway. I used alot of
>starch to stiffen things up a bit.
>thread lock to keep the satin from fraying. I even thought of using hot glue
>to keep the pressed open seams open and keep them from fraying.
>If you can do it with satin...you can do it with just about anything.
I use french seams to prevent fraying. The fabric is usually light
enough that the extra bulk is not a problem.
Marie Coffin
Margaret Mills
says...
>>thread lock to keep the satin from fraying. I even thought of using hot
>glue
>>to keep the pressed open seams open and keep them from fraying.
>
>
First a disclaimer - I've never done this on polyester Satin, so try it on a
sample first.
But for nylon, which also ravels uncontrollably, I run the cut edge past a
candle flame (takes some practice to get this right), but the flame slightly
melts the very edge of the fabric and it can't ravel. It will leave the edge a
little coarse, so you have to decide if that is OK for your project. This only
works for synthetic material that melts rather than burns (so it won't work on
wool or cotton). But it is a sure-fire way to prevent raveling of nylon.
Crystal Pittet
Margaret Mills wrote in message <788h8n$gtf$1...@mailgate2.lexis-nexis.com>...
Tim & Véronique
well as a few others. My wife said "of course". Seems she knew about this
all along but was holding out on me.
Funny, we have been married for 10 years and she still has secrets!!
Thanks everybody!
Tim & Véronique
Tim,
I'm glad that I was helpful. I was having problems posting
to the newsgroup. I would appreciate it, if you could
do that on my behalf.
If you haven't purchased the fabric for the skirt, you
could try adding a chiffon overskirt for a interesting
color effect. A burnt-out velvet might be nice too.
You'll definately want to finish the seams with a french
seam, since it will be visible.
Good luck and have fun sewing.
Dawn
***Dawn's origional message***
>
> What I did with this skirt was to not serge or finish the raw edges
> at all...I even thought of using hot glue
> to keep the pressed open seams open and keep them from fraying.
There are some other alternatives, try
1) Finishing the edge with a French seam.
2) Covering the raw edge with a binding.
e.g. a Hong Kong finish
3) Folding the raw edge over and stitch the
folder edge down.
4) Use a rolled hem to finish the edge,
make sure that it doesn't add too
much bulk.
5) Using pinking shears to finish the seam
6) Lining the skirt. The lining will protect
the raw edge.
These are things that I would try to make
the fabric hold the crease. Always test the
method using a fabric scrap, since some of
these recommendations may mar or damage the
fabric.
1) Using a press cloth increase the heat
setting for the fabric.
2) Still using a press cloth add steam.
3) Spray a solution of vinegar and water
down the seam and press. I have heard
solutions from 1 part vinegar to 8 parts
water to 1 part vinegar to 1 part water.
I believe that it's dependant on the fabric
content. Be sure to test this first.
4) Top stitch both sides of the seam or use a
welt seam.
5) Ask a reputable dry cleaners to press the
seam.
Good Luck,
Dawn Murakami
da...@quake.net
Roger Matthews
fabric is secured with the stitching. And if you use fray stoppa or fray
check, try on a scrap for any staining. Roger
Kaffy
>I have never tried this before but the idea appeals to me of using some
>thread lock to keep the satin from fraying. I even thought of using hot
glue
>to keep the pressed open seams open and keep them from fraying.
How about using a three step zigzag stretch stitch (tricot stitch). I find
that it doesn't bunch the fabric like a normal zigzag, uses much less cotton
and gives a flatter finish than serging.
Sarah Dale
> Hi All,
> Looking for some help and some ideas. I purchased some
> charmeuse satin (made from polyester) to make some items
Many thanks to all for all your help and ideas
both to those people who posted on the groups
and those who e-mailed me privately.
Sarah
Kathryn Prentice
patient and/ or a perfectionist, I recommend basting. You'll have to
finish the edges as well using a serger, zig-zag stitch or perhaps
there is an overlock stitch built into your machine. Good Luck!!
zski wrote:
> Well, this month's THREADS had a cool article on
> fabric flowers, and there was an extensive article
> on scarves a month or so ago.
>
r meadows
through the machine with relative ease. Charmuse makes great dance skirts
and the unraveling can be stopped by singe-ing (how do you spell that?) the
edges with a flame. It is rather time consuming, but works well on
costumes.